WORKING, the musical

[LoringsGuy]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 12:38pm

Has anyone else done this show, and do they have any stories to share about it? I'm currently in rehearsal for a local production and had never heard much about this show prior, and am really curious to hear how other productions went, how it went over with audiences, etc.
Thanks!

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 12:39pm

The first time I ever heard of the show was when a girl in my acting class did a song from it - "All I am is Just a Housewife" it really blew me away - its a powerfully written song. I've never seen a production of it -but I've heard the recording.
Break a leg!

[LoringsGuy]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 12:43pm

I agree, "Housewife" is a very moving, powerful song. In fact, there's a lot of beautiful music in it---"Millworker," "Fathers and Sons", "The Mason." Surprised it's not more well-known.

[judy_in_disguise]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 1:20pm

I did this show, it's a great show because it features many different people (I sang Un Mejor Dia Vendra), and the stories are all so real.
If done correctly, it's an incredibly moving piece. Have fun!

[LoringsGuy]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 1:24pm

Oooh, yeah...."Un Mejor..." is a beautiful song! I'm doing "Fathers and Sons," which is a bit daunting because it's such an emotional piece, but I'm having a ball thus far.

[EverythingIsRENT]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 1:28pm

I saw a production of this just a few weeks ago and found it very average. The show didn't seem to have a flow, and there's really no "plot" to speak of which is what kind of threw me off at first. I was expecting more of a story. There are a vew powerful songs, but also some very mediocre/boring ones. Just a Housewife is DEFINETELY the highlight, as well as the Finale, See That Bulding. It seems like the male roles had no knockout material, and I found myself only remembering the female cast members. Just for the record, the scene with the third grade teacher who hated all the Hispanic students really freaked me out. Weird stuff. Anyway, have fun performing this!!

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 1:38pm

They recently re-worked the material into a ninety minute one act, cutting some of the dated stuff (the newsboy song is gone) and adding new interviews. The old version is either a great show with some expendable moments, or a bad show with some great moments, depending on your taste.

[Bway_Mill_Fan]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 2:28pm

my school did it last year. stephen shwartz was supposed to come, but couldnt, so he sent some stuff. it was really good and the variety of the music is great. "brother trucker" itself could be a non musical song, just by the sounds of it, i think.

[LuvUrBatBoy]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 2:59pm

We did this show at my school last year...It's a good show if you have a large group to work with. The music is a bit dated, but it has memorable moments.
I disagree however with 'Housewife' as the stand out number from the show. Aside from the opening, Act 1 finale (which if done right is a very powerful song called "What I Could Have Been"), and the Act 2 Finale, I think the break out songs are the Waitress' song "It's an Art" and the Cleaning Woman's self titled songs. Those really brought the house down when we did it.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 3:02pm

I have seen the Broadway production (that ran all of three weeks) and one other semi-professional production.

I remember feeling after the Broadway show that all of the women's material was better than all of the men's--that the best scene for a man wasn't as good as the worst for a woman. It is also a variation of the monologues-and-song format that had been precedent-setting and made famous by A Chorus Line two seasons before. The production was over-produced and lost a bundle.

The other production used a near bare stage with very few props. They didn't have a big budget and used only the basic lighting instruments that they had and costumes that were pulled. The audience could concentrate on the show and the material and not oooh and aaah when a firetruck backed up onto the stage for instance.

The show does lack focus, a precise raison d'etre. This doesn't mean that it cannot be entertaining, funny and in the end moving.

One of the many reasons it is selected is that it is easy to rehearse. The whole cast doesn't need to be there all the time.

[VoiceofReason]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 4:28pm

I had the (somewhat unforunate) pleasure of being part of this show at a cummer theater program a few years ago. I was Rose, the schoolteacher (Nobody Tells Me How) and was also a Cleanin' Woman, a resturant patron (it's an art), a millworker (by far my favorite song), and naturally in the ensemble openers and closers. It is a great show, but really requires talent from every cast member. Good Luck with Fathers and Sons, it is truly a beautiful piece.
~m~

[bwguyhottie]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 5:29pm

It's an art is one of my fav musical theatre songs ever.

[marincrazy11]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 5:42pm

I was in this my junior year of high school and we did an abbreviated version, but I think it's a fun show. I sang "It's An Art", but "Fathers and Sons" is my favorite song from the show. I also love "Just A Housewife", "Millworker", the opening and closing. Good luck!

[Jon]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 6:12pm

I did this show a few months after 9/11/01. Certain scenes took on a new significance, such as the fireman monologue. The finale, "Something to Point To", with the steel worker saying they should put a list on the side of the skyscraper with the names of all the people who worked on it - brought tears to the eyes.

Changes in the hew revised vesion from the original:

The Newsboy number is gone - after all, papers are usually delivered by senior citizens on cars now.

There are two new songs - "Traffic Jam" (actually an old James Taylor tune aded to the show) and "I'm Just Moving" - sung by the supermarket checker.

The hooker monologue is now juxtaposed with a monologue by a rich lady who does volunteer fundraising for a charity group - pointing out how similar their jobs are.

There is a sequence about telemarketers and phone operators.

The sequence about the merchant marine is gone.

In general, these changes provide more good material for women.

[LilMiZBroADwaY23]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 7:38pm

We did that musical last year. I was Babe, the supermarket checker. All in all, good times. Except for when we dropped the woman who played the waitress during her song... oops.

We didn't really have any outstanding people, the best one was the old man's number, but 'Housewife' was a flop. Rather dissapointing, and too large of chorus for a High School production.

[My Fair Lady]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 7:45pm

I loathed this show! I saw it at camp and it was possibly one of the worst shows I have ever seen.

[Blanche]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 7:57pm

I love some of the music from this show. I did "It's an Art" several years ago and it's still one of my favorite numbers of all time.

[MusicMan]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 10:53pm

It doesn't "work."

[americasinging]

Posted: 11/11/04 at 1:51am

Awesome Awesome Awesome show!!! I got to be in it about March, and my god it was fun to be in but it's also very moving show. I do agree with others that if it's not done right it completely sucks. I was the woman who sang "If I could've been" and it was me and this kid who was kinda quiet but he did well. The whole cast was standing behind us in a half circle and the harmonies were so beautiful I would get chills everytime!!! Our Housewife was really good though. We didn't have anybody who was afarid to belt their hearts out so almost every song was good. I remember starting to cry one time in rehersals when my friend Sean was singing "Fathers and Sons" becuase it's just a really sad song.

We actually did it for our school competition and came in first in region and Housewife and Millworker got outstanding performances. Then at state we got straight superiors. I would have to say that that was the BEST musical that I've ever gotten to be a part of!

[WOSQ]

Posted: 11/12/04 at 9:52am

A nice touch in the Broadway production during Something To Point To.

Projected on the back wall during the song and the exit music was a list of every single person with their job title responsible for getting Working to Broadway from the authors, cast, creatives, producers, to the people who built the sets and costumes, the running crew, the house crew including ushers and doormen, and even the gofers. Everybody. Hundreds of names. It echoed what the song was about.